What Does Home Mean to You?

When you think of the word home, what comes to your mind? Maybe a family with a dog and kids, or maybe the sweet smell of a freshly baked pastry right out of the oven? If you think of home as family, smells, sights, sounds and emotions, for me, I’d check all those boxes and more. When you think of a house on the other hand, maybe you see a little cabin by the ocean shore, or an apartment building that looks over the city and maybe even a trailer in the middle of the woods. But a home is so much more than that, for you maybe it’s the sound of the waves lapping against the rocky beach of the cabin, or the sight of looking over the city at night with lights flashing as you look down from your apartment window, or the smell of pine trees outside your trailer as you fall asleep. At the same time, a home is different for everybody; it’s something you can’t just fit into a box and say “this is what a home’s supposed to look like and your version of a home is wrong”. When I think of a home I think of a place where you feel safe and where you can just be yourself. It’s a place with loved ones, whether that's your mom, dad, pets or maybe even your bossy older siblings and obnoxious little ones. A home is a place where you practice your hobbies, all the from painting to piano, dance to soccer even opera singing if that’s what you like. A home is a place filled with love, happiness, support and excitement, but a home is also the place where you feel heartbreak, sorrow, grief and anger. All in all, my home is so special and I wouldn't trade it for anything.